- The Senate voted 50-48 to halt US military action against Iran.
- Four Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the resolution.
- The White House says the legislation is unconstitutional and not binding.
WASHINGTON: The Republican-majority US Senate backed legislation on Tuesday to halt US military action against Iran, but it was not immediately clear how it would affect the war as President Donald Trump’s administration negotiates a peace deal with the Islamic republic.
The Senate voted 50-48 in favor of the concurrent resolution, which passed the House earlier this month, reflecting growing concern even among some of Trump’s Republicans about the unpopular conflict that began on February 28.
The vote was almost along party lines, with four Republicans joining all but one Democrat in favor. Two Republicans did not vote.
The resolution directs Trump to remove US armed forces from hostilities with or against Iran, but is likely to remain merely a symbolic vote.
Under the 1973 War Powers Act, the measure will not be sent to the White House for Trump’s signature. However, the White House has insisted that the legislation is not constitutional and thus not binding.
Legal experts say it remains a contentious legal issue that is likely to be settled in the courts.
“The executive branch is likely to ignore it on constitutional grounds, and it’s not clear who might have standing to sue to enforce it,” said Scott Anderson, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and senior editor of the online legal publication Lawfare.
